Asphodel was once part of Pangaea, a woodland nation inhabited by wild beings connected with nature. Halfmen such as satyrs, centaurs and minotaurs serve the lords of the Sacred Groves deep in the forests. In ancient times, the woods covered much of the world, but that has changed. Man is no longer beast and animals are no longer wild. The world of the wild is disappearing. In response to the destruction of the wild forests a dark and hungry God has arisen. The Panii of the sacred groves could not prevent the destruction of the wilderness and a few of them have revolted and struck back with dark fury upon the civilized world. The Panic Apostates and their followers have been touched by the Dark God and their hides are colored as black as the mood of the vengeful forest. But victory comes at a price. Halfmen as well as civilized men succumb to the Curse of the Carrion Woods. Asphodel is slowly turning into a cursed forest realm haunted by living carrion

"If you have walked in a forest with trees covered in ivy and stumbled across the carcass of a dead animal, partly covered by leaves and vines, your imagination might give life to the vines and the roots of the nearby plants. The carrion jerks and twitches as the roots give life to the dead animal. It opens its jaws and lets out a silent hiss.

Asphodel is a nation of the vengeful wild. Panii and halfmen of Pangaea have revolted against their brethren and unleashed the powers of a dark and hungry god upon the living world. Vines and roots turn into slithering and growing entities strangling the living in their sleep and reanimating their corpses as marionettes of vines and bones. These marionettes are known as manikin. The first carrion beasts appeared in one of my Ars Magica campaigns. There was a manikin in the bestiary that sparked my imagination and resulted in animal carcasses reanimated by vines. The concept has always been something I liked, and I suspect is has sneaked into other TTRPG campaigns of mine from time to time.

Asphodel as a Dominions nation has a history similar to Lemuria. The nation was once a theme in Dominions 2 that was removed and made into a global spell available to primarily late age Pangaea. Unfortunately, this made the whole setting of the Carrion Woods rare, and that was a pity. We decided to remake the old theme into a new Pangaean splinter nation." -Illwinter

If you are considering picking this nation to play, what should you know?

Magic Access	Alt. Access	Unit Summary	Core Abilities	Buildings
4 (rare 5) 3 (rare 4) 2 (rare 3) 1 (rare 2) 1 (rare 2) 2	No help from heroes or national summons.	Satyr and Minotaur Infantry Centaur Warriors and Archers Harpies Hordes of Manikins and Carrion Beasts Undead priests can reanimate carrions.	Forest Survival Stealthy Recuperation Berserker Undisciplined Recuperation Undead Plant	Primitive Forts (50% more expensive) Temples cost 300 in Forests Temples produce Nature gems Labs cost 300 in Forests

Capitol Gems: 61
Growth Limit + 2

Dominion kills population.

Manikin Reanimation: MA Asphodel gets manikins and different carrion beasts instead of normal undead. If there are still human inhabitants or at least dead human corpses in the province, there is a chance for manikins and mandragoras to appear. If not there will be different kinds of carrion beasts reanimated instead. The carrion beasts are based on animals and these types can always be reanimated. Reanimate Manikins will be much less effective if done in an enemy dominion. More powerful priests will be able to reanimate more creatures per month, but the quality is the same.

Plants Raise the Dead: The living will die and be animated by vines and roots to serve in the war against the world. Manikins will rise from the corpses of humans, animals, satyrs, harpies, minotaurs, and other creatures animated by the vines and the malign will of the God of the Vengeful Woods. Disciples will also get this effect and their population will soon be killed. Being a disciple to Asphodel will not be easy.

Domain reanimates the unburied dead as manikins. Carrion beasts everywhere but more in forests. More are reanimated in forests, temples, and with higher Growth scales. Magic scales increase the chance of better reanimations.

:Stealthy (40), Forest Survival, Recuperation

: Cold Resistance (5), Poison Resistance (25), Poor Amphibian, Pierce Resistance, Undead, Magic Being, Inanimate, Need Not Eat, Mindless, Forest Survival, Recuperation, Spirit Sight, Plant

• Sleep Vines (Conjuration 3) 11
  Commentary here.
• Vengeful Vines (Conjuration 4) 11
  Commentary here.
• Quick Roots (Enchantment 0) 1
  Commentary here.
• Regrowth (Enchantment 0) 2
  Commentary here.
• Mend the Dead (Enchantment 0) 2
  Commentary here.
• Puppet Mastery (Enchantment 0) 3
  Commentary here.
• Carrion Growth (Enchantment 0) 4
  Commentary here.

• Carrion Fortress (Alteration 0) 32
  Commentary here.

• Carrion Bow (Construction 5) 11 and 23
• Carrion Seed (Construction 5) 11 and 55

• Thorn Spear (Construction 3) 1 and 5
• Thorn Staff (Construction 3) 1 and 5
• Vine Whip (Construction 3) 2 and 10
• Skull Standard (Construction 5) 12 and 105
• Vine Bow (Construction 5) 1 and 5

See Magic Access. These guides supplement the summaries at the top.

No native access. No simple summons.

No native access. 14 Faerie Court Not in Cold has a 1 in 3 chance and in Cold has a 1 in 2 chance of 1.

Multiple of MA Asphodel's recruitable and summonable mages can have 1. Empowerment and a Water Bracelet are needed to hit 3. After that, Contact Naiad and Streams from Hades soon become options.

Multiple of MA Asphodel's recruitable and summonable mages can have 1. A Dryad Hag with an Glamour booster can Summon Bluecap. The Bluecap, with Earth Boots and two levels of empowerment can climb to the next step. A unique The Tome of Gaia can make it one level of empowerment.

No native access. 31 Hidden in Sand for 1 in 3 chance of 2.

31 Hidden Underneath for 3 in 4 chance of at least 1.

3 Summon Spectre for 7 in 16 chance of at least 1.

3 Panic Apostate (1 in 4) will need a Skull Staff and a level of empowerment to get the next booster.

MA Asphodel does not natively have the paths to create extra arms, which are helpful for holding more Death boosters.

4 Panic Apostate (1 in 4) is where to start. 22 can create the unique The Tome of Gaia.

MA Asphodel does not natively have the paths to create extra arms, which are helpful for holding more Nature boosters.

2 Dryad Hag (1 in 4) is the highest recruitable available, which means empowerment is probably necessary. Once you have Glamour boosters, (and an Earth booster, you can boost a 1 Dryad Hag (1 in 4) to 23 for a Mirage Crystal.

No native access. 25 Contact Lamia Queen for 7 in 16 chance of at least 1.

5 Awaken Treelord for 1 in 3 chance of stationary 1.

How to win as the nation. Feel free to use the following sections, or delete them, or change them.

Different expansion options.

Early game options.

Mid game options.

Late game options.

What are the nation's weaknesses?

Add links to guides or other overviews for this nation here.

Nations
Early Ages	Arcoscephale • Ermor • Ulm • Pyrène, • Marverni • Sauromatia • T'ien Ch'i • Machaka • Mictlan • Abysia • Caelum • C'tis • Pangaea • Agartha • Tir na n'Og • Fomoria • Vanheim • Helheim • Niefelheim • Muspelheim • Rus • Kailasa • Lanka • Yomi • Hinnom • Ur • Berytos • Xibalba • Mekone • Ubar • Atlantis • R'lyeh • Pelagia • Oceania • Therodos
Middle Ages	Arcoscephale • Ermor • Sceleria • Pythium • Man • Eriu • Ulm • Pyrène • Marignon • Mictlan • T'ien Ch'i • Machaka • Agartha • Abysia • Caelum • C'tis • Pangaea • Asphodel • Vanheim • Jotunheim • Nidavangr • Vanarus • Bandar Log • Shinuyama • Ashdod • Uruk • Nazca • Xibalba • Phlegra • Phaeacia • Ind • Na'ba • Atlantis • R'lyeh • Pelagia • Oceania • Ys
Late Ages	Arcoscephale • Pythium • Lemuria • Man • Ulm • Marignon • Mictlan • T'ien Ch'i • Jomon • Agartha • Abysia • Caelum • C'tis • Pangaea • Midgård • Utgård • Bogarus • Patala • Gath • Ragha • Xibalba • Phlegra • Vaettiheim • Feminie • Piconye • Andramania • Atlantis • R'lyeh • Erytheia